Oh Mr Quinlan
by Himitsu-paws
Summary: A collection of short drabbles based on my own ideas and reader submitted prompts, featuring Mr. Quinlan and the reader, or 'you.'
1. Main Story Collection I

**A/N:** You can request drabbles on my tumblr blog: ohmrquinlan dot tumblr dot com. Mr Quinlan's lines will be written in italics, like they are in the actual novels. I'm basing the timeline on a mix between the show and books.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own The Strain.

* * *

**First Sight**

The first time you saw the vampire you eventually came to know as Mr. Quinlan, he was standing over the slain bodies of two dead men. Small worms were wriggling out of their forms. You had already seen first hand what happened to those who became infected. They grew stingers in their throats and attacked other humans, drinking their blood.

It was terrifying, this sudden change in the world. People dying left and right, or disappearing to who knows where. But for some reason, you weren't scared of the vampire in front of you. You knew right away that he was not human, with the pale white skin, sharp teeth, and red eyes. Despite that, and not even mentioning the fact that he had just saved your life, you felt calm. He had this aura… like you knew you could trust him.

_Did they harm you?_

A baritone voice seemed to echo in your mind. His mouth moved forming the words, but you knew he wasn't actually speaking. The only sound he made was the occasional vampiric growl. Keen eyes searched your form from under a black hood, looking for any sign of an injury.

"No… I'm alright…" you finally answered. He nodded and extended a hand to you.

_Come on, it's not safe here._

You accepted his help, your heart skipping a beat when you felt the warmth in his grip. It was very comforting. He seemed to sense your reaction, his lips quirking up slightly. It took all your willpower to not blush at that look.

* * *

**Name**

_Take this._

The hooded vampire handed you a sword made of silver. You accepted the weapon, noting its properties. "Isn't silver supposed to be for werewolves?" you asked. If the threat you were facing wasn't so serious, you would have found it actually funny.

_Silver and sunlight will destroy any human who has been corrupted._

"I assume you share the same weaknesses?" He didn't reply to your question, but you knew that it was true. He was a vampire, after all. "So… what's your name?" Again, he didn't give you an answer, instead turning to leave. You were about to protest when his voice entered your mind.

_Quinlan._

And just like that, he was gone. You never even got the chance to thank him for saving your life. However… you had a feeling that you would get the opportunity to do so sooner or later.

* * *

**Kidnapped**

The next time you saw Quinlan was when he was abducting a Mexican. As strange as that sounds, it was even weirder for you to come across the scene. Dead vampire bodies littered the area, guys dressed in light armor were tugging a bag over the Mexican's head, another man was gaping at the scene, and Quinlan was in the middle of it all, giving orders to his men.

You had been busy killing any vampires you came across since your last meeting, as a silent thank you to the one who had saved your life. The silver sword really worked wonders. You were super careful to avoid getting any worms on or near you. Becoming a vampire was the last thing you wanted to happen.

You opened your mouth to call out to him, but hesitated before saying anything. Feeling like an intruder, you took a step back. That slight movement caught Quinlan's eye. He immediately had his bow pointed at you, but after seeing who you were, he lowered it. After a moment, he motioned for you to come to him.

In hindsight, maybe it would have been better if you had declined. Riding in a car going high-speed at night with a bag over your head was not your definition of fun. Still, at least you got to whisper a thank you to him.

* * *

**Predictable**

You had told Gus that it wasn't a good idea. You really did try to warn him for his own good. But he wasn't having any of it. So when Quinlan threw him to the ground after cutting him loose from the chair, you were not at all surprised. It was actually quite impressive how fast he went down. The vampire obviously had a lot of fighting experience.

_Bad idea._

You agreed, and did not struggle or try to fight or run when you were cut loose next. Quinlan seemed to appreciate your compliance and was careful to not harm you. After being nice enough to help Gus up, you followed after the vampire. Eventually he would have to explain why you two were here. In the meantime, you smiled to yourself, remembering the way he had chuckled at the taunts Gus had thrown at him before trying to attack. Perhaps he had a sense of humor. You really hoped so, because hearing him laugh like that, a quiet snicker inside your mind, had given you butterflies in your stomach.


	2. Reader Prompts I

**A/N: **This chapter is a collection of reader submitted prompts that jump around moments in time based on the requested idea.

* * *

**Proximity**

**Prompt:** Mr. Quinlan teaches you how to shoot.

_No, hold it like this._

Quinlan placed his hands over yours to adjust your grip slightly. He was standing behind you, pressed up against your back. It made it very hard for you to concentrate. Contrary to popular belief, vampires weren't cold at all, with body temperatures actually higher than normal humans. The warmth from his chest made you shiver involuntarily, and you swallowed hard, hoping he hadn't noticed. Of course, given your tendency with luck, he did.

_Are you alright?_

His question is complimented by a quiet vampire growl. You had grown quite fond of that sound, maybe even to the point of adoration. Hearing it only made your nerves worse, though. "Yeah… I'm fine," you replied. He peered over your shoulder and you turned your head away from him, trying to hide the flush in your cheeks. If he saw your reaction, he didn't say anything. You eventually relaxed as the lesson drew to a close, growing more certain that he hadn't caught on.

The way he trailed his hand from your waist down the side of your hip before turning to leave made you think twice about your conclusion. It was a good thing he was already walking away when you looked at him in shock, or he would have definitely seen your blush that time.

* * *

**Night Terrors**

**Prompt:** Mr. Quinlan comforts you after having nightmares about strigoi.

You woke up screaming, your heart racing as you fought to free yourself from the tangled sheets. In the brief moment that you were consumed by panic from your nightmare, in an impressive display of speed, Quinlan had reached your side from the other half of the room. He firmly covered your mouth with one hand to muffle your screams.

_Calm yourself._

You initially struggled against him, but he wrapped his free arm around you and held you still. After a few seconds, the comfort you always felt in his presence and the warmth from his body melted away the terror. As you relaxed, he removed his hand from your mouth and you took a moment to catch your breath. It was good that he was a quick thinker. You might have accidentally alerted enemies to your presence if he had not acted as fast as he did.

_Another nightmare?_

"Yeah… it was pretty bad this time," you answered in a weak tone, "It wasn't just the usual vampires… the Master was there too… and…" you paused, remembering the horrible dream and the crushing despair, "You were dead. The Master… he had…" you choked up and stopped, wiping your eyes, trying hard not to cry. Even though it had just been a nightmare and not real, it still tore at your heart. You never ever wanted to see Quinlan like that, dream or reality. During the time you had been talking, he had sat down on the bed next to you.

_There is no reason to worry. As long as you are with me, I will keep you safe._

His words were true. Quinlan had always protected you during the year you had been with him in this new world, where the sun rarely shone and the Master's vampire minions walked about freely. Even considering the handful of close calls, he had never let harm befall you. Leaning into him, you voiced your concern. "What about you?" He smiled slightly, running a hand through your hair in a comforting gesture.

_I have survived countless attacks from the Master and his strain. Nothing will happen to me._

"Promise?" you mumbled, unable to let go of your worry that he might get hurt or worse somehow, but willing to take his word for it.

_I promise._

You bit your lip, hesitating briefly before asking, "Would you stay with me?" Part of you dreaded a refusal, but the moment was too perfect to not ask. To your joy, Quinlan inclined his head, silently accepting your request. He laid back on the bed and you carefully joined him, resting your head on his shoulder. The black light armor he wore wasn't the most comfortable pillow, but you didn't care at all, more than happy to just enjoy his company.

He curled an arm around your waist, his thumb tracing circles through your clothes. A smile spread across your face and you closed your eyes, loving the occasional growly purr that rumbled in his chest. You had never directly talked about your feelings with him, being too shy to bring the topic up. You spent a lot of time wondering if he knew or not, especially given the whole vampire telepathy thing, and more importantly if he felt the same way, but moments like this only made you think that he did. Well, you hoped that he did. Maybe you could ask him to join you more often. It was really nice falling asleep cuddled up with him, warm and safe.

* * *

**Close Call**

**Prompt:** Mr. Quinlan's reaction to when you almost get hurt by a vampire.

Now and then you tended to have really bad luck. Unfortunately, when fighting against vampires that could infect you with just a nick of their stingers or splash of their worm infested blood, having a stroke of poor luck meant game over for you. Such was nearly the case one night when you were out with Quinlan exterminating a horde of the Master's minions in an old church.

Right as you were dodging a stinger, your foot slipped on something on the floor and you fell hard on your shoulder. You bit back a yelp and immediately rolled to the side, barely dodging another one shot at you by a second vampire. It was an extremely close miss and you felt the whoosh of air from the attack. You swore loudly and kicked with your feet, pushing yourself backwards away from the pair of strigoi.

They came after you, trying to grab you while withdrawing their stingers for a followup attack. You hit a wall, unable to put any more distance between you and the enemy vampires. Desperate and afraid, you swung wildly with your silver sword in a panic, but missed. Right as they prepared to strike again, Quinlan came out of nowhere and tore into them like a beast, slamming them to the ground and crushing their skulls with his boot. He ensured they were completely dead by decapitating their already mangled heads.

You tried to calm your harsh panting, your heart racing from the battle. If you hadn't rolled the way you did, that stinger would have hit you. Quinlan knelt in front of you and grabbed your shoulders while thoroughly inspecting you for any wounds. You winced as a flare of pain shot through the arm you had landed on. He noticed your reaction and eased up on his tight grip, and you realized how worried he looked. "They didn't get me," you assured him. He took another moment to look you over until he was satisfied you had not been infected.

_What happened?_

"I slipped…" you answered, feeling really guilty when he frowned. "I'm sorry, it was a mistake. It won't happen again. I hope you're not mad… I mean, I don't want you to leave me behind because of this…" He sighed, the sound mixed with a vampiric growl.

_I am not angry, only worried. You need to be far more careful. If you are ever turned, I would have to kill you. Do not put me in that position._

While his tone was sharp, you knew he only wanted the best for you. The thought of him having to destroy you if you ever became infected made your chest burn. "I know. I'm really sorry. I promise I'll do better," you said, "I would never want to force you to have to do that…" You trailed off as he leaned close and touched his lips to your forehead, almost like he was nuzzling you. A fierce blush spread across your cheeks at the intimate contact, because it was technically a kiss, something you fantasized a lot about. What he said next made your heart pound intensely.

_Keep your word. I don't want to lose you._


	3. Reader Prompts II

**A/N: **This chapter is a collection of reader submitted prompts that jump around moments in time based on the requested idea.

* * *

**Thirst**

**Prompt:** You notice Mr. Quinlan is hungry and offer him your blood.

Many months have passed since you joined up with Quinlan after everything went to hell, and not once had you ever seen him feed. It wasn't that he didn't eat, because he occasionally went out alone for that purpose, he just never did it in front of you. If that was out of consideration for you being human or if he just wanted privacy, you weren't sure. You knew what he was and you were okay with it. You were even okay with the fact that a meal for him meant taking a human life. He only ate when necessary, unlike the rest of his kin.

One night, you realized that he hadn't gone out to feed for a while. Vampires became more pale the longer they went without blood, and he looked like he really needed some. The weather outside had been bad for days, trapping you two in one of his hideouts. It was clear that he was hungry, something you could help him with. "Quinlan…" you began, catching his attention, "I know this might be kind of random, but if you need some blood to tide you over, you can drink a bit from me."

_No._

You flinched slightly, then sighed. "Look, it's perfectly fine with me. You can limit how much you take, right? I trust you." He shook his head, rejecting your offer. You huffed and walked over to him, crossing your arms. "We don't know when this storm will end. It's only going to get worse the longer you wait. It'll be better if you drink now and keep your strength up." Quinlan frowned, but it looked like he was considering your offer. After a long moment of silence, he replied.

_Very well. As long as you are willing…_

You nodded, confirming your acceptance. "You can control how much you drink, yeah?"

_I can. You must let me know when you start to reach your limit._

"Got it," you said as he approached you. He carefully tilted your head to the side away from him. At this angle, you wouldn't see his stinger. If that was the way he wanted it, then okay. You were just glad he wouldn't be so hungry anymore. He placed a hand on your waist, holding you close to him. Your breath hitched and you shivered as sharp teeth grazed the pulse point in your neck. He almost seemed to purr at your reaction, the sound making your heart beat faster.

A light touch on your skin, then a prick, and he was slowly drinking from you. Closing your eyes, you gasped at the sensation of blood being drawn from your neck. His grip on your waist tightened and he growled. The rate you felt blood leaving your body fluctuated as he struggled to control himself. There was something strangely intense about the experience… maybe you could even describe it as erotic.

You wondered if your blood tasted good. In a timely response to your thought, he pulled you closer and gently raked his free hand down your back in a possessive caress. You had to bite your lip to keep from making any embarrassing noises. You could not stop your body from trembling, though. Too soon, you started to feel really dizzy. "Quinlan," you gasped, signaling for him to stop. A second later he did, withdrawing his stinger from your neck. You leaned into him, woozy and about to pass out.

_You should have stopped me earlier._

His tone was scolding, but you were too tired to care. "Mm…" you replied, nuzzling into the warmth of his chest. You were aware of him picking you up, carrying you, then laying you down on something soft… a bed. The last thing you heard before passing out was his soothing voice in your head thanking you and confirming that yes, your blood was quite delicious.

* * *

**Under the Stars**

**Prompt:** Mr. Quinlan unexpectedly kisses you.

"Stop worrying, I'll be fine," you assured your frowning companion. The two of you were standing on the roof of a building in the middle of the city, the cool night air passing by in a light breeze. The clouds had parted a little bit, a rare sight these days, allowing some of the stars in the sky to be seen for once. "I just go there, avoid any vampires if possible, keep my head down, pretend to be normal, fetch the package, and meet you in the downtown hideout. It's no big deal." Quinlan did not look any less concerned. You sighed, "I know, but you can't be in two places at once and we can't cancel on either contact. Both deals have to go through. You know that."

Quinlan said nothing and looked away from you, slowly scanning the city with a keen gaze. He was probably assessing the current level of danger and risk. You rolled your eyes and smiled. He was so obsessively paranoid and overprotective sometimes. It was rather endearing, really. You moved closer to him and in a bold move, reached up and cupped his cheek. He turned back towards you, a look of surprise briefly appearing on his face. You swallowed, trying to calm your nerves, fully aware of the weight of his attention. The fact that he was immortal and had so much experience and knowledge often intimidated you.

"Trust me. I can do this," you told him. A long moment of silence followed and you began to lose your confidence. He wasn't telling you no, so you guessed he was okay with it. You decided to go with that, because now you were starting to feel awkward. Your hand slipped from his face and you took a step back to leave. In a move that shocked you, Quinlan caught your arm and tugged you closer instead. His other hand circled behind to pull you flush against him. Blushing hard, you stuttered, looking up at him to ask what he was doing. That was when his lips firmly claimed yours.

The kiss was warm and deep and absolutely consumed you. It was almost overwhelming, and far better than you had ever dreamed it would be. Your eyes were wide open in surprise and your senses felt like they were being overloaded. You were hyper aware of every single detail of the moment, the heat of his body, his solid chest pressed against yours, his hand caressing your back, your own trembling body, the way he purred into your mouth, the sound of his enjoyment causing your heart to flutter wildly, the burning intensity of his gaze as his mouth brushed against yours again and again in searing passion…

You whimpered and wrapped your arms around his neck, licking at his lips and trying to kiss him even deeper. It felt like your entire body was on fire. You needed Quinlan so badly it hurt. However, he was in full control, despite your pushing for more. He allowed your demanding tongue into his mouth, but did not engage it, instead pressing his own one down over his stinger. He kept his movements minimal to not accidentally cut you with his sharp teeth. Even in the heat of the moment, he was thinking about your protection. You were only vaguely aware of this, too busy moaning at the taste of him. It was so good, so masculine, so delicious. He growled, a noticeable shiver running down his form as you writhed into him. After one last fiery kiss, with you biting his lip gently, he pushed you back, leaving you panting and aroused, eyes lidded in desire.

It took a good minute for you to compose yourself, though your blush did not leave. Your emotions were in turmoil and you had no idea what you should be saying in this situation. Quinlan had just made one of your long time dreams come true. You opened your mouth a few times, but no words came out. You were also having trouble looking at him, glancing away and then back again. A soft chuckle in your mind made you flush even harder. His red eyes held fond amusement for you, his lips turned up in a gentle expression you had never seen before. It warmed your heart and you felt a rush of happiness.

_Be careful, and come back to me._

You grinned at him and nodded, glad that everything was okay. He closed the small amount of distance between you two and leaned down to gently touch his lips to yours again in a soft kiss, a silent goodbye for now. You sighed in contentment, enjoying the warmth and tenderness. He pulled back before the passion had the chance to ignite again, though his reluctance to part from you was obvious. You took advantage of his hesitation and gave him another kiss. And then another. After several more short and sweet kisses, you absolutely had to leave or you would definitely be late meeting the contact. It was all good, though. You could get by on the memory of his smile and the way he tasted until you reunited with him in a few hours.

* * *

**Cat and Mouse**

**Prompt:** Mr. Quinlan tries to forcefully recruit you to be a Sun hunter, but you manage to escape, giving him no choice but to hunt you down.

"Shit!" you swore as you tore down the alley, running at full speed. You took a left when you reached the street and immediately darted into the nearest building, a convenience store. Keeping behind as many shelves as you could for cover, you exited via the backdoor and then looped through a few backstreets. You were reaching your limit, so you quietly hid in yet another alley behind a dumpster, trying to calm your panting and catch your breath. You wiped the sweat off your forehead and listened for any sign of pursuit. A minute ticked by and you heard nothing. That was good… that meant you had lost them.

Ever since this vampire business had started, you'd taken it upon yourself to slaughter as many of them as you could. You had always been a big fan of supernatural stuff, so after eliminating the zombie option for this outbreak by following one and seeing it drink blood, you'd concluded that they were vampires. Weird vampires with gross mouth tube stingers, but bloodsuckers nonetheless. It had only taken you a few hours to discover that besides sunlight, they were weak to silver. That actually kind of bothered you because it crossed over into werewolf territory, but whatever. This was real life, not a fantasy story. After learning that bit of useful information, you had promptly stolen a pretty silver longsword and gone on a rampage. If the world was ending and humanity dying out, you were taking as many monsters with you as possible.

You'd found out that vampires were actually fairly easy to kill and quickly broke it down to a science, leaving headless bodies behind as you swept through neighborhoods. No matter how many you killed, though, more and more seemed to pop up everywhere. Still, you had carried on with your mission, undeterred by their sheer numbers. It had been going so well too, until you'd stumbled upon that group of men in black while you were in the middle of beheading another couple of vampires. Only… they hadn't been men at all. The one wearing a hood and no mask had turned to face you, revealing his vampiric features and white skin.

You had quickly realized that all of them were bloodsuckers, although these vampires carried crossbows and acted far more intelligent compared to the mindless monsters you had previously been slaying, and thus posed a much bigger threat. So when the hooded one had come at you after pointing you out to his companions, it'd only taken a split second for you to make a choice and get your ass out of there instead of trying to fight and probably getting yourself killed. You thought you had heard a voice in your head telling you to wait, but had chalked it up to your imagination. No way were you sticking around there. Screw that. The sound of multiple footsteps running after you had only spurred you onward.

You were broken out of your thoughts by a growling sound near the entrance of the alley. Carefully peeking around the corner of the dumpster, you caught sight of the maskless vampire staring right at you, his red eyes almost glowing in the night. You tensed up, mentally freaking out. How the hell had he followed you?! You had been so damn careful covering your tracks and pulling every trick you knew to shake off any sort of pursuit. You briefly considering making a stand and fighting this bastard with your sword, but you were still tired out from running so far and this guy looked like he was in top combat shape. Every instinct screamed at you that fighting him would be a terrible idea. Getting into a crouch, you prepared to run again. This time, you clearly heard a male voice in your mind.

_Don't. Submit peacefully and no harm will come to you._

Frowning, you glared suspiciously at the vampire. His lips turned up in a smirk that was clearly directed at you. So that voice in your head was really him. Submit? Ha! Like you would fall for that. You knew vampires lost the ability to talk when they grew their mouth tentacles, so perhaps they gained some sort of telepathy to compensate? Annoyed that he was talking inside your mind without permission, had tracked you down, and was in general taunting you like an asshole, you yelled out to him, "Fuck off!" With that said, you took off again, sprinting in the opposite direction.

You had barely gotten a few yards away when you were grabbed and roughly thrown to the ground. Shrieking, you fought in vain against the vampire, but he pressed down on top of you and quickly disarmed you of your sword. He caught your arms and firmly tied them behind your back. It was infuriating how fast he beat you. A black bag was tugged over your head, blinding you. In response to this rude act, you snarled and swore at him, calling him every name in the book.

_That's hardly appropriate language. Be quiet now, and cease your struggles. I don't want to hurt you._

"You tackled me to the ground, you bastard! Of course that hurt! What the hell do you want anyways?!" You only became more angry as he ignored you and finished securing your legs so you couldn't kick. To your great displeasure, he picked you up and slung you over his shoulder, his arm wrapping over your legs to hold you in place. You hissed, absolutely furious, "I'll kill you for this, you know. I swear I will."

_That is highly unlikely, but I do admire your spirit. You will make a fine Sun Hunter._

"A what..?" you asked, confusion now joining your fierce anger. Once again, the vampire didn't answer you and began to walk, carrying you to who knows where. You tried to wriggle out of his grip, but ceased your actions after a squeeze of his arm and a warning growl, which sent an odd shiver down your spine for reasons you did not care to think about. You noted that he was quite warm, another deviation from classic vampire lore. Letting out an annoyed sigh at the situation, you realized that like it or not, you were now at his mercy. Worried for your life and your weapon, you grumbled, "Please tell me you're not going to eat me, and that you didn't forget my sword? Also, since you can talk, do you have a name?"

_I did not capture you to drink you, nor did I leave your weapon behind. I intend to return it to you later. You may call me Quinlan. I will explain further in a secure location. It is not safe here._

"Quinlan, eh? I'll remember that when I cut your head off," you declared with a smirk, although he couldn't see it. He didn't rise to your taunt, instead keeping his annoying silence. However, after a few more minutes of carrying you, he did toss you pretty roughly into a car. You figured you deserved it after deliberately baiting him, but you intended to get him back tenfold whenever you had the chance. You were now keeping score, and you owed him for one-upping you. He had no idea what was coming for him. You played to win.


	4. Reader Prompts III

****A/N: ****This chapter is a collection of reader submitted prompts that jump around moments in time based on the requested idea.

* * *

**Wrong Turn**

**Prompt:** You and Mr. Quinlan get separated, but eventually find one another.

Well, it was official now. You were hopelessly lost. As you wandered along yet another street trying to backtrack to where you had parted from Quinlan, you mentally berated yourself for messing up so badly. He had been so thorough with the directions to where you were supposed to meet up again, and you had let him down. You sighed and blinked back tears. That was the worst part of it. You hated disappointing him in any way. He was always so amazing at everything he did. It made you feel unworthy of his attention sometimes. You wished you had paid closer attention to what he said. Hindsight was a bitch and this city was a fucking maze.

You turned a corner and passed by a middle-aged couple who wore matching looks of hopelessness on their faces, a common expression for humans in these times. The sky was dark with clouds for most of the day, blocking out the sun and chilling the air, adding to the general sense of despair. The Master's vampires patrolled the streets, on the lookout for any troublemakers. Now and then they would attack and drink a helpless victim and people would just turn away, unwilling to risk their lives trying to assist or fight back against the monsters that ruled over them. It was easy to blend in with the rest of humanity and lose yourself in the atmosphere of depression.

The rumbling of an approaching armored truck caught your attention. You spotted a pair of vampires riding in the back. The driver was a human, one of the bastards that worked with the strigoi to protect themselves and get ahead in the new world. You grit your teeth in anger and looked down, trying to act as normal as possible to not draw attention to yourself. You had promised Quinlan you would be super careful and do your best to not get into trouble or hurt. Still, you couldn't help but feel nervous as hell as the truck slowly passed by, knowing the vampires were watching you. Luckily, they didn't stop and the sound of the vehicle soon disappeared behind you.

You pulled your jacket's hood up as drops of water hit your hair. Shivering, you swore under your breath, cursing the rain for adding to your misery. It wasn't good enough that you were lost, no, it had to rain too. The shower quickly turned into a downpour and you darted into a nearby building, pushing aside a broken door that had been busted down ages ago and sloppily propped up. There was only a single floor, so it didn't take you long to sweep the place and make sure there were no vampires lurking about.

Sighing again, you slumped against a wall and pulled out a small loaf of bread to eat. Meat was scarce, a real luxury to have. The strigoi had slaughtered a lot of the world's livestock. Sometimes when you and Quinlan wiped out a group of vampires, you would dedicate your kills to the deceased cows, lamenting their demise. You never told him this, of course. You took another bite of your bland food and smiled fondly at the memories of fighting by his side. Before he had taken you under his wing, you had been going on autopilot through life with no driving purpose. You were eternally thankful to him for saving you in more ways than one.

The pouring rain kept you shivering inside the dusty old building for hours. You actually lost track of the time, though in your defense it was hard to tell, with no working watch and no sight of the sun. When it did finally let up enough to go out again, you ended up wandering the roads for another few hours, becoming increasingly frustrated and upset with yourself. You were beyond late for your scheduled meetup with Quinlan and he had to know about your failure by now. The streets all looked the same and you didn't know your way around in this new city, having only arrived here shortly before your partner had left you to take care of business.

You walked down another road that looked somewhat familiar, only to realize the buildings were all wrong and didn't match the ones at the starting location. You quietly snarled to yourself and slammed a fist into the brick wall next to you, embracing the pain from the impact as a punishment. Despite your increasing fatigue, you picked up the pace and traveled three more blocks until you passed by a dark alley. Without warning, an arm darted out and pulled you into the shadows. You instinctively struggled, trying to draw your sword from under your coat, but your attacker blocked it and shoved you against the wall, pinning you there. You slowed and then completely stopped fighting as you picked up the scent you knew so well, then the ambient body heat, and finally the familiar piercing red eyes, which were staring at you with concern and relief.

_What were you doing?! I have been searching for hours. Why didn't you go directly to the safe house? Do you have any idea how worried I was? If something happened to you and I wasn't there… You are very lucky I detected your presence in this area…_

Quinlan growled and stepped back, releasing you. He looked unusually tense, wearing a serious frown on his face that amplified the guilt you felt. You bit your lip, unable to meet his eyes. He leaned in and pushed your hood and hair aside with a gentle touch, checking your neck for wounds. You were trying to think of what to say, because telling him you got lost was really lame and made you look like an idiot. "I… it turns out that I'm terrible at geography," you explained sheepishly. Quinlan's hard stare and silence made you fidget in discomfort.

_You… got lost…?_

"Uh… yeah. I did," you admitted, shame eating at you as he growled once more, looking as exasperated as you'd ever seen him. "I'm really sorry, I lost track of the turns I was supposed to make and it just got worse from there. Next time I'll write it down so it won't happen again. I just… sorry." He must have noticed that you were beating yourself up over the whole mishap, and maybe your eyes looked like they were tearing up, because he stepped closer and embraced you, resting his chin on your head. Your breath caught sharply at the comforting action, the pain in your heart easing a little bit as you sunk into his warmth. "Sorry," you mumbled, hoping you didn't sound too pathetic. Quinlan sighed heavily, the sound mixed with a purr in his throat.

_It's in the past. Nothing happened to you before I was able to find you, and now you are safe with me again. Don't worry yourself over it._

His words made you blush and you snuggled closer to him, a small smile on your face as you felt a soothing hand stroke down your back to settle around your waist. You felt slightly less guilty about everything, but you silently promised to make it up to him somehow, if just to compensate him for the time he had spent looking for you. After a minute, he pulled back enough to tilt your chin up with his free hand, intense red eyes gazing at you before he leaned down and touched his warm lips to yours in a tender kiss. His slow and gentle caresses tasted of all the worry and care he felt for you. It was overwhelming, and more than enough to make the built up tears from the frustrating day escape your eyes, running down your cheeks in a pair of wet trails. He was always so forgiving, even if you didn't think you deserved it.

Naturally, Quinlan soon noticed and left your lips to kiss your tears away, the affectionate action nearly making you cry even more. Being the perfect gentleman that he was, he of course picked up on this too, and sweet and comforting whispers filled your mind. With your emotions going crazy after such a stressful day, you couldn't help but laugh a little, which earned you a curious look. "You're perfect, you know? You never cease to amaze me."

_No one is perfect, but thank you._

Although he denied his perfection, you saw the gleam of male pride and satisfaction in his expression and grinned, happy that he liked the compliment you'd given him. You really meant it, too. You sometimes wished you could put into words how highly you thought of him, because everything you ever came up with always fell short, in your opinion.

_You also have nothing to make up to me._

It took you a few seconds and the sight of his teasing smirk to realize that he'd been reading your thoughts. "Oi, I told you not to do that," you mock complained. His baritone chuckle made another light blush spread across your cheeks and you playfully shoved at him. He caught your hand with ease and tugged you along with him, leading you further into the alley and through multiple backstreets. He kept you close by his side with an arm around your waist until you both reached the safe house half an hour later. You had a smile on your face, now in a much better mood compared to before. Quinlan was always very good at making you feel better, and one day, if the opportunity ever presented itself, you hoped to be able to do the same for him.

* * *

**Trick or Treat**

**Prompt:** Halloween with Mr. Quinlan.

Three goddamn months. That was how long you had been stuck underground. After the Ancients had died, everything started to go to hell with nuclear explosions, vampires flooding the streets, people being murdered or turned left and right all over the world, and in general just pure chaos. Gus and the others had split off to go into hiding and you had tagged along with Quinlan. He had taken you to a safe location underground to avoid the radiation and other various dangers on the surface.

The worst thing about being stuck here was the sheer mind-numbing boredom that plagued you nearly all the time whenever you were awake. Quinlan was able to go outside, thanks to his vampire biology, but you couldn't go with him. He often left to take care of preparations for whenever the situation stabilized. He intended to fulfill the Ancients' last request. He'd been kind enough to bring you books and whatever board games he found, and even played them with you when he had time. He always won of course, not that you minded. It was fun and challenging to test your wits against someone like him. It broke up the monotony and made the long days seem a little bit shorter. Shifting to a more comfortable position on the couch, you sighed dramatically and turned your head to watch Quinlan organizing his many weapons. "What day is it?" you called to him.

_October 31st._

Feeling a wave of bitter resentment for the vampires who had fucked over the world, you barked out a short laugh. "This is going to be the first Halloween where I haven't gone out trick-or-treating. Although… I guess it will never be the same again, unless we kill the Master…" you trailed off with a frown. Part of you secretly didn't want to eliminate the Master… because that would mean Quinlan would die too. You hadn't explicitly confirmed it with him, but it was easy to put the clues together when the Ancients had turned into dust and he hadn't. You were too lost in your thoughts to notice Quinlan's approach until he was next to you. Looking up at him in surprise, you waited for his familiar voice to pop into your mind.

_Close your eyes._

"Uh, okay," you obeyed the order, wondering where he was going with this. The seconds dragged by and you were starting to become impatient. "So… is there a point to thi- Ow!" you flinched as a relatively mild bite of pain struck your forehead. "Did you just poke me?" you grumbled, rubbing the sore spot and glaring at him. He had an amused look on his face, and the accompanying growl sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.

_I believe that a trick is customary on this day._

"Yeah… but getting a treat is also tradition, jeez," you complained, making a show of tending to your forehead, even though it didn't really hurt anymore. "Most people just hand out candy… or they did before all of this. Tricks were way more rare," you informed him with a huff, then crossed your arms and looked away, pouting and trying to play up the guilt factor to use for your benefit, even though it probably wouldn't work on him. Quinlan once again surprised you when you felt something fall into your lap. You glanced down to find a king size snickers bar. "Where did you find this?!" you gasped, picking up the candy with a smile, unable to keep up your mock charade of looking offended. With all the looting and destruction that was still ongoing on the surface, good food was getting harder to find, especially nonessentials like chocolate.

_I came across it in a store about a week ago. It's your favorite, right?_

"Yeah, it is. Thank you so much, Quinlan. Really, I mean it," you grinned up at him, and he met your gratitude with a rare smile of his own. Feeling giddy and excited for the chance to taste chocolate again, you pushed aside your usual hesitance regarding your crush on him and stood up, trying hard not to blush. Before he could step back, you wrapped your arms around his waist and gave him a quick hug, relishing the warmth from his body. He stiffened slightly and you let go, your cheeks flushing despite your best attempts to fight it. You muttered another thanks and turned to leave before your embarrassment got the best of you, ducking your head to hide your blush, but a strong hand gripping your wrist prevented you from fleeing with your snickers bar.

_I am glad you like it. I only have one request in exchange… do not run from me in moments like this anymore._

At the same time as you heard Quinlan's soothing voice in your mind, you were pulled back into a firm chest and the vampire's arms wrapped around you from behind, returning the hug you had given him. Needless to say, your blush only intensified at his words and gesture. The sound and mild vibrations from his vampiric purr did not help. You were unable to suppress a slight tremble as a shiver ran down your spine, a reaction he undoubtedly picked up on. You tried to reply, stuttering a few times, before settling on simply nodding silently, feeling your hair brush against his chin. He gently squeezed you, signaling that he had noted your acceptance to his request, then let you go, returning to the table where his weapons were arranged. You glanced over your shoulder just once, flushing all over again when you found a pair of intense red eyes looking at you.

* * *

**Touch**

**Prompt:** Underground can be a very cold place. Mr. Quinlan helps you warm up.

**Warning and Note:** Sexual content. I try to write these as gender neutral as possible, but the more explicit stuff will be from a female perspective. Apologies to any of my dude readers. Maybe I'll throw you a bone later.

Although you were under a thick mass of blankets, it was still cold enough to make your breath visible in the air as you shivered and tried to keep warm. You did not want to get sick if you could help it. Medicine was scarce under the Master's rule. It was never warm at any point of the year now, even summer, but winter had proven to be the worst yet. It really sucked that the current hideout didn't have a heater or any sort of air conditioning, and it was too risky to keep a fire going for multiple reasons, one of those being the location of the place. Underground bases only made the lack of warmth worse, and often you selfishly wondered if that was worth trade off for increased safety.

The cold weather naturally had no effect on Quinlan, something you were quite jealous of, but didn't mind too much whenever he sat next to you. His body temperature was high enough that you could feel his warmth without directly touching him. In the past, he had always been kind enough to join you when you were cold and if he wasn't busy. However, after you had confessed your feelings for him, the time he spent with you noticeably increased in frequency and intimacy. He even initiated a good amount of the cuddling. It didn't always lead to kissing, as much as you liked that. It was enjoyable just to be with him, and it was clear he felt the same.

Demonstrating his perfect timing, Quinlan entered the room right as you were visibly trembling. He immediately moved to your side, briefly exposing you to the cold air as he slipped under the blankets next to you. A second later, and you were pressed up against a warm vampire body with an arm wrapped around your waist. You let out a contented sigh and snuggled as close as possible to your personal heat source. A quick glance up at his face revealed his concern about your health, and you reassured him with a bright smile. He seemed to accept your silent confirmation that you were fine and rested his head on top of yours.

Usually you two didn't talk that much during these cuddle sessions, happy to relax and enjoy each other's company. Sometimes you'd engage in conversations, but only if you thought Quinlan was in the mood for it. You quickly picked up that this was one of those quiet times. It wasn't long before you found yourself slowly dozing off as he gently stroked his hand up and down your side. What prevented that and woke you up was the feel of his hand sliding lower, down your hip, his fingers brushing the inside of your leg. Your face heated up and you stiffened, the movement causing Quinlan's hand to pause its exploration.

_If this makes you uncomfortable, I can stop._

"No!" you responded without thinking, before realizing how harsh that sounded. You had been dreaming of this moment for so long, you didn't want to mess it up. "No… it's fine, I just didn't expect it. Do you… do you want me to do anything for you? I don't know if vampires, uh… how you even…" A quiet chuckle inside your mind cut you off and you blushed even harder, embarrassed about the way you had been stuttering.

_Don't worry about me for now. Relax, and allow me to keep you warm in a more enjoyable way._

You bit your lip at the arousing sound of the vampiric purr that accompanied his deep voice, squirming as a flush of heat rushed between your legs. That was quickly followed by the firm press of his fingers touching you there, in your most intimate and private of places. You were unable to hold back needy moans as he slowly stroked you through your clothes, every caress making you tremble in pleasure. Quinlan shifted next to you, and hot breath and then sharp teeth grazed your neck. You whimpered and threw your head back to give him more access, losing yourself in the moment, writhing and pushing your hips up to meet his every touch. Red eyes closely watched your every reaction, but you were too lost to linger on how vulnerable his attention made you feel.

He continued the teasingly slow pace for the next few minutes, dropping heated kisses on your neck and lips. "Quinlan, please," you begged, unable to handle the torture any longer. He obliged your request, slipping his hand under your clothes. You nearly screamed and bucked hard at the feel of his warm fingers directly on your skin, running up the length of your folds before rubbing circles on the tiny bundle of nerves. He did not hold back, intent on pushing you over the edge, the intense sensations overloading your mind. You barely lasted thirty seconds, twisting to cling to him while bolts of pleasure coursed through your body.

As you recovered from the orgasm, you buried your face in the crook of his neck, trying to calm your breathing. You were flushed with heat, still shuddering occasionally. Quinlan pulled you on top of him, wrapping both arms around you and stroking your back in a soothing manner while you basked in the afterglow. You pressed a kiss under his jaw and whispered a thank you. He gently squeezed you once and nuzzled the top of your head, growling into your hair, then adjusted the blankets over both of you, which had gotten quite tangled during your activities. With a truly content smile, you soon dozed off again, falling asleep in the warmth of his embrace, your last thought a promise to yourself to return the favor.


End file.
